marsye

nwm50

I was wondering the same thing! lol

craftybear

good luck on shopping for your car, be sure it is big enough to haul your fabric and sewing machines!

mountain deb

I have found out When I go car shopping, if I wear junky looking clothes, the salesmaen leave me alone. But when I go in dressed to the nines, boy do I get respect, attention and taken seriously.

HIBISCUS

One thing we learned from car shopping over the years: take both cars, or borrow a neighbor's car so you'll have a getaway car when they start the negotiations with the money-people. We loved our old dealership, but hated sitting while they prepped the car, inspected the trade-in, worked up the contract, etc. The last straw was 5 hours, the employees had barbecue brought in for all the staff, and we had a packet of peanuts! Our saleslady felt sorry for us and sneaked us a plate of ribs, then loaned us her personal car (a Corvette, we could barely get in...and out!) to run home and get our other vehicle to bring back.

carrieg

My DH does what another poster said. He loves to go on a Sunday or in the pm to the car lot when there are no salesmen there. Sometimes it's hard to find the price, but you can get an idea. Also, if you can wait until the end of the month - they do like to meet their quota. And you have to be willing to walk away if you don't like their deal. It makes it harder if you NEED a car, rather than when you just start looking.

When we bought my impala in 01, it really, really irritated me when the finance guy was talking to us in his office - he directed all the questions to DH. I was ticked off! But we knew we were financing at the C.U. anyway, but they try their hardest.

sewcrafty

I'm the same way!! I don't like salesment at all!! No patience for crap!! My minivan went on dialysis! Poor baby. Needed to get a new vechile 4x4 to get up the driveway from h**&!! Found an Explorer used, started walking out of dealership and then they decided to deal bue book $19k got it for 12k.

I do have to admit that my we did educated ourselves on the type of vehicle and different pricing. Retail, private and trade-in. We ended up getting it for I think $500 over trade-in value.

Don't run around, use the net. Find what you like find out the info as far a blue book and arm yourself.

Good Luck!!!

nwm50

I just go to the lot & tell them what I'm looking for and let them know that I know how to read window stickers, what i am willing to spend (CASH) and what color that I do not want, etc and to just point the way for me & i will get back to them. Once in the office, if it goes too slow for my taste...out the door I go! Last time my grandaughter was with me & she told them (6 yr old) either deal with her or it's off...the deal was made to my satisifaction. LOL...lucky i buy Toyota & they last & last & last, but this year i broke tradition & got an Chevy. SIGH!!

Lostn51

When my mom and dad were buying their new truck in 03 they took me along to "help" negotiate the price. My mom was petrified and my dad and I were having the most fun we have had in a long time!!

We would be in the sales guys cubicle and he was talking it up about finance and all the options and Dad and I always pay cash for everything. We would let the guy do the entire 30 minute pitch then my I would tell them "Thats great but I am paying cash and we are going to pay this amount and nothing more." when he would try to "hem haw" us around I would stand up poke my head out of the cubicle and ask if "Anyone in here wants to sell a car cause this guy is clueless!"

We went through 4 or 5 guys before the manager came in and stepped in. The whole time my mom was hiding her face thinking this has got to end sometime.

What these guys didnt know is I knew an engineer at Ford and Dad already photographed the window sticker of this truck and I sent it to him and asked him what he could buy it for. So I knew what it really cost for it to hit the lot!!

We got the truck for what we wanted to pay for it and mom wrote the check for it. To this day she said the only reason that we got a new truck for that price was because they wanted to get rid of us and it was the end of the month.

But this will get them everytime..........you know how they charge $600 for dealer prep and all. My favorite saying to them is "I know how to wash a car and I aint paying for some idiot to do my job"!! If you feel like arguing the point they will drop that charge but it takes a while to beat them down!

But the truth to dealer prep is bolting on all of the things like the mirrors and peeling the paper off of the car when it hits the lot.

The main thing to remember is that they are there to make a buck but you can determine how much by sticking to you guns. Right now I know for a fact they will almost give them away because they are hurting for money. Just remember to tell them this, "its my dollar and I can spend it anywhere I want too, what are they going to do for you to encourage you to let them have it!!!!"

Billy

Barbm

I said the same thing about dealer prep- I'll wash it myself.

I look forward to car shopping. Recently we had to replace my son's car, thanks to an idiot running over the front end with a triaxle dump truck. We found a '93 Cadillac that is totally loaded and awesome. We call it the Mafia car because you could put a few dead bodies in the trunk.

Son was not crazy about it so I told him use it until you get a job (college student) and then Dad can have it for winter because the Mini Cooper (named Skeeter) doesn't plow snow. He drove it a couple of days and is hooked.

Best of all- no car payment for him and I know he's surrounded by metal and safe.